It's Wednesday, Activists ~
And we're dealing with Trump's illegal agency funding freeze that happened yesterday. And now, our Democratic legislators need to get real and be an actual opposition party. So we need to tell them to act.
Democrats Must Push Back Against Trump's Chaos
Yesterday we saw Trump freeze billions in federal funding for programs that keep kids fed, families housed, and students educated. His move was halted until next week by a court. But this wasn't just a policy memo—it’s a direct assault on the Constitution and the lives of millions of Americans. We're taking it seriously as a sign of more to come. And let’s be clear: Trump’s latest move is illegal, dictatorial, and Americans will die as a result.
Trump is not testing the boundaries of presidential power—he’s blowing them up. He’s claiming the authority to decide which laws to enforce or ignore, fundamentally reworking the Constitution’s balance of power. If Congress no longer controls federal spending, our democracy is dead in the water. If you want to see where his actions are inspired by, watch this Rachel Maddow segment for the first 20 minutes or so.
The result? Families will lose food, homes, and healthcare. Lives will be destroyed. People will die. Trump’s chaos is intentional, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Trump’s freeze is an attack on the structure of our government: if the president can ignore Congress’s decisions, the separation of powers ceases to exist.
To put it bluntly, it's time for Democrats to get tough. No half-measures. No political games. But real opposition to these illegal actions. This is what Senate Democrats must do:
Shut Down the Senate. Use every procedural tool—quorum calls, endless amendments, and withholding consent—to grind Senate business to a halt. No votes, no deals, no cooperation until Trump’s freeze is rescinded. Specifically, they must:
- Commit to oppose all nominees while this freeze remains in place- Reject every request for Unanimous Consent to advance Senate business- Vote NO on all Cloture votes, Motions to Proceed, or any other procedural vote- Request Quorum Calls at every possible opportunity to slow things down
Call and email them now to tell them this is their job and we want to see it now.
For Republican senators, ask them: "Do you support Trump’s illegal freeze that targets families, students, and seniors in your community?”
Here are the senators' contacts --
Sen. McCormick – Phila office 215-405-9660; D.C. office 202-224-6324; email link (scroll to the bottom of the page).
Sen. Fetterman – Phila office 215-241-1090; D.C. 202-224-4254; email link
For outside PA: Find your senators’ phone numbers and emails at this link.
CALLS TO ACTION
And don't forget to call about these cabinet picks.
1. Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget -- A co-author of Project 2025, is a far right-wing hawk on expansive executive power and believes in using the military during civil unrest, slashing spending programs without Congress, and stripping federal workers of their protections. Yeah, he's that guy. Call and tell your senators to vote NO on this anti-democracy zealot. His committee hearings already took place and we don't know when the rest of the process will happen.
2. Hearing on Wednesday, January 29, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., vaccine skeptic, Secretary of Health and Human Services This position has enormous control over 18 agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
3. Hearing on Thursday, January 30 -- Kash Patel, Director of the FBI. This guy is so horrible I barely have words. He's lied about so many important issues, for example about his role at DOJ, and also abused processes there, and he is big part of Trump's "retribution" campaign, saying ""We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in government, but in the media".
4. Hearing on Thursday, January 30, Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence. She probably has the slimmest chance of being approved because of her past trips and alignment with Russia and Syria's former dictator Assad. And, hilariously, because she was only recently a Democrat and Republicans have a hard time with that ("she's not one of us"). Let's make our calls and emails and help defeat her nomination.
Here are the senators' contacts --
Sen. McCormick – Phila office 215-405-9660; D.C. office 202-224-6324; email link (scroll to the bottom of the page).
Sen. Fetterman – Phila office 215-241-1090; D.C. 202-224-4254; email link
For outside PA: Find your senators’ phone numbers and emails at this link.
DNC CHAIR ENDORSEMENT
Indivisible just announced that it has endorsed Ben Wikler for DNC Chair after input from group leaders nationwide. As they describe: "In this political moment, we need a DNC chair who recognizes the historic demands on the party to resist fascism and mobilize diverse coalitions to save our democracy. We need a chair who understands that lasting power can’t be built top-down -- it needs to be organized from the bottom up. Ben is the real deal, and we’re proud to endorse him for DNC Chair."
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